WHY SMART BY DESIGN

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​DIGITAL SKILLS GAP

The number of smart-city solutions is booming, and many innovative technologies are being utilized to improve the city of the future. However, governments are not seeing the results they aimed for and one of the main causes for this is the digital skill gap.

2-FACTOR PROBLEM

Citizens don't realise the need as unaware of smart solutions and there's lack of skilled personnel to implement and maintain tech solutions of SMEs. In most European countries there's lack of commercial acumen, entrepreneurial spirit, and managerial and professional skills and competencies for scaling-up activities in satisfying the needs of a smart city. ​

​One of the reasons for such a gap is the lack of mentoring and training schemes for those who are concerned with the digital transformation of the cities.

SMART OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the project is to develop a knowledge and skills development package for the target group of „smart city innovators” to drive smart disruptive technology for the cities’ needs. This could foster the process of the digital transformation of the cities in Europe through elaborating, testing and providing a set of learning & training instruments to SME managers, owners of deep-tech businesses, smart city officers and managers and their trainers and mentors. More specifically the partners are working on production of a map of digital disruptive technologies for the cities’ needs and a training program with modules and materials for the smart city innovators. 

THE PROJECT DETAILS​
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• developing capabilities and competences framework for smart economy
• developing especially the empathy towards the citizens in the local environment of the SME managers as their new customers and consumers under the umbrella of smart city
• ​preparing for the next level of ICT connectivity called "city-as-a-platform"​

• supporting the uptake and use of digital technologies to create innovations to serve the needs of the society and the citizens and thus tap on social skills
• self-learning of managers and owners who drive successful
  digitally innovative businesses
• ​covering domains such as: open innovation; Innovation management standards group under CEN/TS 16555

SUSTAINABILITY

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PROJECT RESOURCES
With the outcomes of the project, the trainers and smart city innovators are armed with resources that make the process of training, mentoring and networking easier and more efficient.

​LONG-TERM PROJECT BENEFITS
The project presumes creating a sustainable network of stakeholders and selection processes open to a broader number of managers & trainers and smart cities cases of implementing disruptive innovations in the development of future cities.

SMART CITY MANAGEMENT
The methods and the achieved results contribute to the understanding of the process of smart city management through the needs of: smart city managers & SMEs and their trainers – all who are involved in the smart city innovation process. 

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